Over the years, there has been a growing dependency on the trucking industry to transport goods. This has resulted in development of more powerful and sophisticated tractors and associated trailers as well as accessories that facilitate the tasks of loading, transporting, and unloading goods when they reach their intended destination. In some instances, the development of accessories has led to the creation of problems that were previously unknown.
As but one example, load locks have been developed for securing a partial load in place during transport. A load lock comprises an adjustable length shaft having an integral bearing pad on each of opposite ends thereof. Typically, a plurality of load locks will be utilized to secure a partial load in a semi-trailer.
Depending upon the size of the cartons or goods that are being hauled in a semi-trailer, there will be one or more load locks positioned vertically and one or more load locks positioned horizontally. They are usually placed in contact with, or in close proximity to, the rearward-most cartons or goods so as to extend between the floor and the roof of the semi-trailer, i.e., vertically, as well as between the side walls of the semi-trailer, i.e., horizontally. By utilizing an adjustment mechanism associated with the shaft of the load lock, the bearing pads may be placed in tight interference fit with the respective ones of floor and roof or the side walls.
When the semi-trailer is to be unloaded, the load locks are released from their position of use within the semi-trailer. It is common for them to be laid on the floor of the semi-trailer or, alternatively, placed on the loading dock while the semi-trailer is unloaded. In either case, there is a reasonable likelihood that the load locks will either be damaged or lost in the course of unloading the semi-trailer.
For instance, if the load locks are placed on the floor of the semi-trailer, they may well be damaged by a forklift being utilized to facilitate the unloading process. The shaft, bearing pads, and/or adjustment mechanism typically cannot withstand the weight of a loaded forklift without being damaged, or possibly even destroyed. When this occurs, the load locks must be replaced, which means they may not be available when needed, and the replacement cost is a significant factor in operating costs.
Similarly, if the load locks are placed on the loading dock, they may well be left behind when the trucker leaves the area of the loading dock. It is common practice, once the truck is unloaded, for the trucker to pull away from the loading dock to close the tailgate which creates a natural tendency for the load locks to be forgotten. Once again, operating costs are increased to a degree that is undesirable due to the need to replace load locks that have been left behind.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.